Hard Drive Data Destroying Device

ABSTRACT

Three systems for the destruction of the data storage portion of electronic media storage devices such as hard disk drives, solid state drives and hybrid hard drives. One system utilizes a mill cutter with which the hard drive has relative motion in the direction of the axis of the mill cutter to destroy the data storage portion. A second system utilizes a laser to physically destroy the data storage portion. The third system utilizes a chemical solvent to chemically destroy the data storage portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/206,234, filed Mar. 12, 2014, that claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/777,091, entitled “Hard Drive DataDestroying Device”, filed Mar. 12, 2013, the disclosure of whichapplications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to a device for destroying the dataon a hard drive and more particularly, to a device for destroying thedata on the data storage portion of a hard drive so that the datathereon is completely destroyed without having to physically destroy theentire hard drive.

BACKGROUND

Various types of data are stored on the hard drives of computers. Suchdata may include personal confidential information concerningindividuals. This data may include their social security numbers,financial information, health information and private telephone numbersas examples. The hard drives are also used to store corporateinformation which may include proprietary information such as developingproducts, customer lists, and business plans. The government may storeconfidential information including highly classified information on thehard drives.

When it is desired to replace the computer, the data must be removedfrom the hard drive so that it cannot be misused by unscrupulousindividuals. Merely erasing the data by using the computer commands isnot sufficient as the data can be recaptured. This is true even if thehard drive is removed for upgrade purposes. However, even if the harddrive is removed, something must be done to destroy the data.

One way of ensuring that the data cannot be used or recovered from anunwanted hard drive is to completely destroy the hard drive. This hasbeen accomplished in the past by completely shredding the entire harddrive. However, as the hard drive is encased in a metal, the completedestruction involves the shredding of a relatively large volume of metalthat requires a lot of energy. It is thus desirable to have a processand apparatus for destroying the data on a hard drive that is moreenergy efficient.

An example of a hard drive data destroying device is shown in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/272,472, entitled Hard Drive ShreddingDevice, filed Oct. 13, 2011 by Clark et al, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of this disclosure there is provided system forphysically destroying the data storage portion of electronic mediaelectronic storage devices such as hard disk drives, solid state drivesand hybrid hard drives. The system comprises a rotatable milling cutterand a cradle for locating the electronic media storage device in apositioned to engage the milling cutter. The cutter and or the cradle isaxially movable to permit the milling cutter engage and remove the datastorage portion of the electronic media storage device while leaving atleast a substantial portion of the remaining electronic media storagedevice intact.

According to another aspect a system is provided for physicallydestroying the data storage portion of electronic media storage devicessuch as hard disk drives, solid state drives and hybrid hard drivescomprising a cutting chamber, a carriage for holding an electronic mediastorage devices in said chamber, a rotatable milling cutter in saidchamber for engaging into said storage device, and a non-rotatablecenter holding spear coaxial with said milling cutter and axiallymoveable into contact with said storage device to prevent rotation ofstorage device while said milling cutter is engaging said device.

According to yet another aspect there is provided a method forphysically destroying the data storage portion of electronic mediaelectronic storage devices such as hard disk drives, solid state drivesand hybrid hard drives, comprising providing a rotatable milling cutterhaving an axis, providing a cradle for locating the electronic mediastorage device in a position to be engaged by said milling cutter,moving said cutter or said cradle in an axial direction and rotatingsaid cutter about its axis to engage and remove the data storage portionof the electronic media storage device while leaving at least asubstantial portion of the electronic media storage device intact.

According to a still further aspect, there is provided a system forphysically destroying the data storage portion of electronic mediaelectronic storage devices such as hard disk drives, solid state drivesand hybrid hard drives that comprises a cutting chamber, a laser fordestroying the data storage portion, a cradle for holding an electronicmedia storage devices in said chamber, said cradle or said laser or bothbeing movable to position the laser relative to the electronic mediaelectronic storage device so that the laser destroys the data storageportion of the electronic media storage device while leaving at least asubstantial portion of the electronic media storage device intact.

According to a yet another aspect, a method is provided for physicallydestroying the data storage portion of electronic media electronicstorage devices such as hard disk drives, solid state drives and hybridhard drives comprising providing a laser, providing a cradle forlocating the electronic media storage device in a position to becontacted by the moving said laser and or said cradle so that the laserdestroys the data storage portion of the electronic media storage devicewhile leaving at least a substantial portion of the remaining electronicmedia storage device intact.

According to a still further aspect a chemical system for physicallydestroying the data storage portion of electronic media electronicstorage devices such as hard disk drives, solid state drives and hybridhard drives is provided which comprises comprising at least one pod forstoring a chemical capable of eroding and stripping away the datastorage portion of the electronic media electronic storage device, ahollow drill bit associated with each pod drivable into the cavity ofthe hard drive and a release mechanism of releasing said chemicals toflow through her drill bit into the cavity.

According to yet a still further aspect there is provided a method forchemically destroying the data storage portion of electronic mediaelectronic storage devices such as hard disk drives, solid state drivesand hybrid hard drives, comprising providing a chemical in a pod capableof eroding and stripping away the data storage portion of the electronicmedia electronic storage device, driving a hollow drill bit into thecavity of the hard drive containing the data storage portion ofelectronic media electronic storage devices; and releasing the chemicalto flow through the drill bit into the cavity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a HDD hard drive data destroyer in theloading position;

FIG. 1a is an isometric view of the HDD hard drive data destroyer ofFIG. 1 showing the mounting of the cutters and table;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the hard drive data destroyer of FIG. 1showing the vision verification;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the hard drive data destroyer of FIG. 1showing the loading table positioned in the milling chamber;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the hard drive data destroyer of FIG. 1showing the center spear of the milling cutter engaging the hard drive;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the hard drive data destroyer of FIG. 1showing the milling cutter engaging the hard drive;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the hard drive data destroyer of FIG. 1showing the hard drive destroyer after the milling cutter is disengagedfrom the hard drive;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the hard drive data destroyer of FIG. 1showing the hard drive data destroyer after the destroying operation iscompleted;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the hard drive data destroyer for SSDhard drives showing the destroyer in the loading position;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the hard drive data destroyer of FIG. 8showing the vision verification;

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the hard drive data destroyer of FIG. 8showing the loading table positioned in the body of the milling chamber;

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of the hard drive data destroyer of FIG. 8showing the milling cutter engaging the hard drive;

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the hard drive data destroyer of FIG. 8showing the hard drive destroyer after the milling cutter is disengagedfrom the hard drive;

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of the hard drive data destroyer of FIG. 8showing the hard drive data destroyer after the destroying operation iscompleted;

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of a laser HDD hard drive data destroyer inthe loading position;

FIG. 15 is an isometric view of the laser hard drive data destroyer ofFIG. 14 showing the vision verification;

FIG. 16 is an isometric view of the laser hard drive data destroyer ofFIG. 14 showing the loading table positioned in the laser perforatingchamber;

FIG. 17 is an isometric view of the laser hard drive data destroyer ofFIG. 14 showing the laser acting on the hard drive;

FIG. 18 is an isometric view of the laser hard drive data destroyer ofFIG. 14 after completion of the laser perforation process;

FIG. 19 is an isometric view of the laser hard drive data destroyer ofFIG. 14 showing the laser hard drive data destroyer after the destroyingoperation is completed;

FIG. 24 is an isometric view of the laser hard drive data destroyer forSSD hard drives showing the destroyer in the loading position;

FIG. 21 is an isometric view of the laser hard drive data destroyer ofFIG. 20 showing the vision verification;

FIG. 22 is an isometric view of the laser hard drive data destroyer ofFIG. 20 showing the loading table positioned in the body of the millingchamber;

FIG. 23 is an isometric view of the laser hard drive data destroyer ofFIG. 20 showing the laser acting on the hard drive;

FIG. 20 is an isometric view of the laser hard drive data destroyer ofFIG. 20 after completion of the laser perforation process;

FIG. 25 is an isometric view of the laser hard drive data destroyer ofFIG. 14 showing the laser hard drive data destroyer after the destroyingoperation is completed;

FIG. 26 is a block diagram of the milling process of FIGS. 1-13;

FIG. 27 is a block diagram of the FIG. 33 laser process of FIGS. 14-25;

FIGS. 28a-28d are schematic plan views of an HDD and an SSD or HHD drivebefore and after the application of the laser;

FIG. 29 is a schematic isometric view of a device for destroying harddrives using a spring-loaded chemical injecting system;

FIG. 30 is an isometric enlarged view of the radiator sub-assembly ofthe system of FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 is a isometric view of the cog sub-assembly of the system ofFIG. 29;

FIG. 32 is an isometric view of the device of the injector pinsub-assembly of the system of FIG. 29;

FIG. 33 is an isometric view of the temperature control platesub-assembly of the system of device of FIG. 29;

FIG. 34 is a isometric view of the system of FIG. 29 showing theinjector pins released and the chemical flowing into an HHD hard drive;

FIG. 35 is a isometric view of the system of FIG. 29 showing theinjector pins released and the chemical flowing into an SSD hard drive;

FIG. 36 is a schematic isometric view of a computer showing theplacement of the system of FIG. 29 in the computer; and

FIG. 37 is a schematic isometric view of a chemical injecting system foruse with laptops.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In general, the devices described herein can be used for destroying thedata storage portion of media electronic storage devices such as HDD,HHD and SSD hard drives. The HDD (Hard Disc Drive) hard drive isessentially a metal platter with a magnetic coating. The coating storesthe data. A read/write head on an arm accesses the data while theplatters are spinning in a hard drive enclosure. In SSD drives, insteadof the magnetic coating on top of platters, the data is stored oninterconnected flash memory chips or pods. The SSD drive has no movingparts. The HHD (Hybrid Hard Drive) drive is a hybrid incorporating theHDD and the SSD principles. The various devices described herein can beused to destroy data on all three types of hard drives.

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 6 show a hard drive datadestroyer 2 that may include a cabinet 4 having a frontal opening 6opening into a front loading milling chamber 8 and having a door with asafety glass window (not shown) to enclose the chamber 8. A horizontallymoveable table 10 is moveable on suitable rails 15 and 17 as shown inFIG. 1a so that the table can be moved in and out of the cabinet 4 andmoved in an X and Y direction to position the table within the cabinet4.

The table 10 has two side by side cradles 12 and 14 for receiving andholding hard drives. The cradle 12 on the left is structured to receiveand hold a larger 3.5 inch HDD 16 or SSD hard drive 18 and the cradle 14on the right is structured to receive and hold a smaller 2.5 inch HDD orSSD hard drive as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 6.

Milling cutters 18 and 20 are mounted in suitable milling heads that maybe mounted on a rail system in the cabinet 4 movement along the x-y-zaxis. These milling cutters 18 and 20 may be face mill cutters modifiedto include a center spear 22 as described below or any other suitablemilling cutter that can remove material as it is advanced downwardlyalong its axis and pivoted with a center spear. The milling cutter 18 onthe left is relatively large for use with the large hard drives. Themilling cutter 20 on the right is relatively small for use with thesmaller hard drives. Although two milling cutters are shown, it ispossible that just one or more than two milling cutters could beutilized. The milling cutters 18 and 20 are mounted in suitable spindles21 which are driven by a motor 23.

The milling cutters may also be of the trepanning cutting tool typemodified to include the center sear 22 as described below. A trepanningcutting tool may be defined generally as a cutting tool in the form of acircular tube, having teeth at one end, the work piece or tube, or bothare rotated and the tube is fed axially into a workpiece, leaving behinda grooved surface in the workpiece.

A center holding spear 22 (See FIG. 4) is provided one coaxial with eachthe milling cutters 18 and 20. Each holding spear 22 is moveable in avertical direction relative to its associated cutter 18 or 20 to extendfrom the center of the cutter. The holding spear 22, while axiallymoveable, is non-rotatable and can be provided with projections 24 orother sharp edges on its distal end to engage the hub of a hard drive16.

A vacuum port 26 in the back wall of the cabinet 4 communicates with themilling chamber 8 and is connected to an exhaust pipe 28 and a suitablevacuum pump (not shown) to provide a vacuum system for removing debrisfrom the milling chamber 8.

The 3.5 or 2.5 inch hard drive 16 is placed in a corresponding cradle 12or 14 on the loading table 10 depending on its size. The larger 3.5 inchHDD or SSD hard drives are placed in the holding cradle 12 on the leftas viewed in FIGS. 1 and 6. The smaller 2.5 inch HDD or SSD hard drivesare placed in the cradle 14 on the right. The placement of the harddrives corresponds with the size of the mill cutters 18 and 20positioned within the milling chamber 8. The larger cutter 18, on theleft, is used to destroy 3.5 inch HDD or SSD hard drives and the smallercutter 20, on the right, is used to destroy 2.5 inch HDD or SSD harddrives.

The loading process can be done automatically by placing the respectivehard drives 16 or 18 in a vertical “magazine” styled loading chassis,which indexes the hard drives into an empty cradle after the previousdestroying operation has been completed.

Visual verification as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 may take place after thehard drives are loaded onto a cradle 12 or 14. The hard drive 16 or 18is scanned by a suitable scanning system which may be mounted on thecabinet 4 with the scanning beam 30 directed to scan a hard drivepositioned on a cradle 12 or 14 before the cradle 12 or 14 is moved intothe chamber 8. The scanning system may include a barcode scanner and avisioning sensor/camera that will scan the bar code, brand, serialnumber and will identify the hard drive by height, length and widthalong with identifying where the platter hub is located in the case ofHDD drives. The information from the scanning system is fed to acomputer where the information is processed and store and used toactivate the CNC system position the respective milling cutter with thetype of hard drive identified in the cradle 12 or 14.

The computer includes a database of hard drives in the market place toquickly identify and sequence the hard drive with the appropriatemilling process. When new hard drives are introduced to the hard driveshredder, the servo and visioning system makes the necessary adjustmentsto complete the milling process. Then the information is saved in thedatabase for future recognition.

Once the hard drive 16 or 18 is placed in either the 3.5 or 2.5 inchholding chassis 12 or 14, and the computer has identified the specifictype of hard drive, the loading table 10 is automatically activated andmoves inside the body of the cabinet milling chamber 8 as shown in FIGS.3 and 10.

When the center hub 32 of the 3.5 or 2.5 inch HDD hard drive is located,the two-phase pneumatic milling head will first lower the center holdingspear 22, which applies pressure to the center hub 32 preventing thehard drive platters from spinning during the milling process as shown inFIG. 4. The center holding spear 22 is not activated when destroying SSDhard drives.

The next phase of the HDD milling process consists of lowering the outermilling cutter 18 or 20 to the surface of the 3.5 or 2.5 inch hard driveas shown in FIGS. 5 and 11. The blades of the face of the milling cutterpenetrate the surface of the hard drive coring-out the platter(s) of thehard drive in the case of the HDD drives.

When SSD hard drives are being destroyed, the milling cutter 18 is sweptacross the surface of the 3.5 or 2.5 inch hard drive to destroy (facemill) the area where the information pods 34 are located. The millcutter 18 may be swept in a side to side, front to back or a combinationof such movements in a horizontal plane. Alternatively, the cradle 12 or14 may be moved relative to the mill cutter 18 to provide the sweepingaction. In either case, such action comprises a coring and surfacemilling operation.

The vacuum system is automatically activated during the milling processto collect the shards that are produced. The vacuum system draws theshards out of the milling chamber 8 through the exhaust port 26 andexhaust pipe 28 to an appropriate collection bin (not shown).

When the milling process for the HDD hard drives is completed the outermill cutter 18 and center holding spear 20 retract from the surface ofthe hard drive as shown in FIG. 6. All that remains is the surroundingcasing of the 3.5 or 2.5 inch hard drive and the center hub, which onceheld the information platter(s). The finished product resembles a donut.

When the SSD milling process for the SSD hard drives is completed asshown in FIG. 12, the mill cutter 18 is retracted from the surface ofthe hard drive and returned to its start position. All that remains isthe bottom casing of the 3.5 or 2.5 inch hard drive less the area wherethe information pods were located.

When the HDD or SSD hard drive milling cycle is complete, a respectivehard drive 16 or 18 is automatically ejected from its holding cradle 12or 14 into a collection bin 36 below the milling chamber 8 to cool asshown in FIGS. 7 and 13. The loading table 10 with the empty holdingcradles 12 and 14 exits the milling chamber 8 to begin the next millingcycle.

The milling process system is schematically shown in the block diagramshown in FIG. 26. The hard drive on the cradle is scanned forrecognition by the scanning system which may include a barcode sensorand a visioning sensor/camera. The information scanned is fed to acomputer, attached to or mounted in the cabinet, and which has a database for storing information about the hard drives. The computer covertsthe information about the hard drive in the cradle to a form to send tothe CNC machine which controls the movement of the system. The computermay include an Ethernet port for connection to the internet along with apower supply for operating the computer, software and peripheralattachments.

A plurality of individual hard drive destroyers 2 may be provided, eachat a separate location such as individual kiosks. The computer providesa means for the individual destroyers 2 to communicate with each otherand/or with a centralized data base.

FIGS. 14-25 show a hard drive data destroyer 102 that utilizes a laserto destroy the drive. FIGS. 14-19 show the laser hard drive datadestroyer operating on a HDD hard drive 104 while FIGS. 20-25 show thelaser hard drive data destroyer operating on a SSD hard drive 106.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 20, the laser hard drive data destroyer mayinclude a cabinet 108 having a front loading laser perforating chamberwith a frontal opening and a door (not shown) to close the chamber 110.A horizontally moveable table 112 is moveable on suitable tracks formovement into and out of the chamber 110.

The table 112 has two side by side cradles 114 and 116 for receiving andholding hard drives. The cradle 114 on the left is structured to receiveand hold a larger 3.5 inch HDD or SSD hard drive and the cradle 116 onthe right is structured to receive and hold a smaller 2.5 inch HDD orSSD hard drive.

A 3.5 or 2.5 inch hard drive is placed in a corresponding cradle 114 or116 on the loading table 112 depending on its size. The larger 3.5 inchHDD or SSD hard drives are placed in the holding cradle 114 on the leftas viewed in FIGS. 14 and 20. The smaller 2.5 inch HDD or SSD harddrives are placed in the cradle 116 on the right.

The loading process can be done automatically by placing the respectivehard drives in a vertical “magazine” styled loading chassis, whichindexes the hard drives into the empty hard drive holding chassis afterthe previous laser perforation cycle is complete.

A laser head 118 is mounted in the cabinet above the table 112. Thelaser head is moveable in the x-y-z direction to properly align with ahard drive in a cradle 112 or 116 when the table 112 with a hard driveis positioned in the chamber 110.

A vacuum port 120 in the back wall of the cabinet 108 communicates withthe laser perforating chamber 110 and is connected to an exhaust pipe122 and a suitable vacuum pump (not shown) to provide a vacuum systemfor moving debris from the perforating chamber 110.

Visual verification as shown in FIGS. 15 and 21 may take place after thehard drives are loaded onto the cradle. The barcode on the hard drive104 or 106 is scanned by scanner 124 positioned on the cabinet to scanthe bar code on the hard drive. The scan activates a custom x-y-z servoand visioning system to properly position the laser head 118 with thetype of hard drive identified in the holding cradle 114 or 116. A customservo-visioning system may consist of a database of hard drives in themarket place to quickly identify and sequence the hard drive with theappropriate laser perforation pattern. When new hard drives areintroduced to the laser perforating system, the servo-visioning systemmakes the necessary adjustments to complete the laser perforatingprocess. Then the information is saved in the database for futurerecognition.

Once the hard drive is placed in either the 3.5 or 2.5 inch holdingcradle 114 or 116, and the servo-visioning system has identified thespecific type of hard drive, the loading table 112 is automaticallyactivated and moves inside the laser perforating chamber 110 as shown inFIGS. 16 and 22.

With the hard drive positioned in the laser perforating chamber 110, thelaser head 118 then emits either a single or multiple laser beam(s) 128in a pulsating manner, which bore through the outer casing of 3.5 or 2.5inch HDD and SSD hard drive. The laser head 118 moves while the table112 remains in a fixed position after it is introduced into the chamber.Alternatively, the table can move and the laser head can remainstationary. Based on the type of hard drive identified by theservo-visioning system, the laser system will emit a pulsating laser(s)that produce small round holes in a grid like pattern. The grid likepatterns will correspond with the type of hard drive being destroyed,either a HDD 3.5 or 2.5 inch or SSD 3.5 or 2.5 inch drive.

As shown in FIGS. 28a and 28b , which show schematically a HHD drivebefore and after the application of the laser respectively, the laserproduces a round donut-shaped matrix 123 of small holes 125. FIGS. 28cand 28d show schematically the before and after results of the laser ona SSD and a HHD drive wherein the matrix 127 of small holes 129 isrectangular.

In addition to destroying hard drives, the laser perforation process canalso be configured to destroy other forms of electronic media storagedevices ranging from back-up tapes and DVDs to SIM cards.

When the HDD laser perforation process is complete as shown in FIGS. 18and 24 the exterior housing of the hard drive's surface is riddled withmultiple holes that have penetrated the information platters of the harddrive in a grid like pattern that resembles a donut.

When the SSD laser perforation process is complete the exterior housingof the hard drive's surface is riddled with multiple holes that havepenetrated the information pods of the hard drive in a rectangular gridlike pattern.

The vacuum system, including the exhaust port 120 communicating with theinterior of the perforating chamber 110 and the exhaust pipe 122 andvacuum pump (not shown) is automatically activated during the laserperforation process to collect metal fragments that are produced andconvey them to a collection bin (not shown). When the HDD or SSD laserperforation cycle is complete, the respective hard drive isautomatically ejected from the holding chassis into the collection binbelow the laser perforation chamber 110 to cool as shown in FIGS. 19 and25. The loading table 112, with the empty holding cradles 114 and 116,exits the laser perforation chamber 110 to begin the next perforationcycle.

The laser process system is schematically shown in the block diagramshown in FIG. 27. The hard drive on the cradle is scanned forrecognition by the scanning system which may include a barcode sensorand a visioning sensor/camera. The information scanned is fed to thecomputer which has a data base for storing information about the harddrives. The computer coverts the information about the hard drive in thecradle to a form to send to the CNC machine which controls the movementof the system. The computer may include an Ethernet port for connectionto the internet along with a power supply for operating the computer,software and peripheral attachments.

A plurality of individual laser hard drive destroyers 102 may beprovided, each at a separate location such as individual kiosks. Thecomputer provides a means for the individual destroyers 102 tocommunicate with each other and/or with a centralized data base.

In the case of both milling systems shown in FIGS. 1-13 the laser systemshown in FIGS. 14-25, the table 10 or 112 containing the hard drive maybe moved rather than the miller cutter 18 or 20 or laser head 118, or acombination of movement.

FIGS. 29-35 show a chemical hard drive data destroying system 202. Thesystem administers chemicals to destroy information imbedded onelectronic media storage devices, such as hard disk drives (HDD), solidstate drives (SSD), and hybrid hard drives (HHD), rendering the storedinformation digitally and forensically irretrievable.

The system 202 utilizes chemicals such as hydrochloric acid (HCL),ammonium nitrate (AN), and a solvent like water (H₂O) to erode and stripaway the information imbedded on the platters and/or memory pods,circuit boards, contained within the body of the respective drives 203.An additional chemical such as polyurethane (PUR), polyol resin, orsimilar product, can be used as a foaming agent to aid in thedisbursement of the chemicals and confine the dispersions within thecavity of the hard drive. Other chemical solvents may be used as long asthey are capable of destroying the data storage portion of the harddrives. The chemical solvent should be any suitable solvent capable ofdissolving the coating of the platter(s) of an HDD drive along with aportion of the platters. In the case of SSD hard drive, the chemicalsolvent should be able to completely dissolve the information pods. Thechemicals used in the destruction process are stored in self-containedpods 204 that are constructed of natural and composite materials.

The system 202 comprises several compartmentalized sub-assemblies: aradiator 206, a cog system 208, an injector pin system 210, and atemperature control plate 112, which includes a chemical sensor pad 214.The aftermarket hard drive destruction system 202 is positioned withinthe housing of the computer 216 customarily in the hard drive holdingchassis, and mounted directly above the hard drive of the host computeras indicated in FIG. 36.

The sub-assemblies, which make-up the complete system, are stacked indescending order with the radiator 206 on top followed by the cog system208, the injector pin system 210; and then the temperature control plate112. However, the radiator can be placed in another vacant space withinthe computer housing to allow for more room in the hard drive holdingchassis. Once installed, the system is interfaced with the mother boardof the host computer through appropriate connectors 218 that allows thesystem to be activated by a key board onsite, or through remote accessusing the Internet. The hard drive is connected to the motherboardthrough its own wiring system.

When the system is activated, the radiator 206 which works inconjunction with the temperature control plate 214 circulates radiatorfluid through a closed loop system including tubing 220 connectedbetween the radiator 206 and temperature control plate 214 to maintainan ambient temperature for the stored chemicals. In some instances, theradiator does not have to be used if the host computer is deployed in anenvironment where the ambient temperature is compatible with thesystem's chemicals. Rather than a radiator fluid being circulated, airmay be circulated.

The cog system 208 houses the drive mechanism that simultaneously drivesthe injector pins in the form of four hollow drill bits 222 through thechemical pods 204 stored in the temperature control plate 212, and intothe cavity of the hard drive. The depth of the penetration of the drillbits 222 is pre-calibrated to the specific type of hard drive installedin the computer 216.

The cog system 208 includes four toothed cog wheels 224 operablyconnected one to each of the four drill bits 222. A center cog wheel 226drives the cog wheels 224 and is driven by drive motor 228. The drillbits 222 are held above the chemical pods 204 until the system isactivated.

The injector pin system 210 consists of four chambers 230 each with aspring loaded plunger 234 that drives the chemicals stored inside thechemical pods 204 through the hollow shafts of the drill bit 222, andinto the cavity of the hard drive. The plungers 234 are held in theirraised or cocked position against the bias of the spring 235 by arelease mechanism (not shown). The chambers 230 are an open endedcylinder with the open bottom end disposed in the frustoconical openings235 in the temperature control plate 212 in which the chemical pods 204are located, While the drawings show four chambers 230, additionalchambers 210 can be used to aid in the disbursement of the chemicalsolvent. In the case of the smaller 2.5 inch laptop hard drives, as fewas one chamber may be utilized.

An auxiliary air system, using carbon dioxide (CO₂) cartridges ordedicated air line, can be integrated through the injector pin system210 to assist with the chemical dispersion in the hard drive cavity. Theinjector pin system 210 can also be adapted to disburse chemicals thatare stored outside the system, thus bypassing the use of chemical pods.

The temperature control plate 214 houses the second half of theradiator's closed loop system, which is connected with external tubing220. The tubing 220 extends around the exterior of the cog system 202and the injector pin system 218 and extends through the temperaturecontrol plate 214 around the frustoconical openings 235 as shown in FIG.33. The temperature control plate 214 also serves as the bottom portionof the four injector pin chambers 230, which house the four (4) conicalshaped chemical pods. Threaded connecting rods (not shown) are used tosecurely fasten the injector pin system to the temperature controlplate.

A chemical sensor pad 232 is attached to the bottom of the temperaturecontrol plate 214. The chemical sensor pad 232 serves to detect thepremature release of chemicals as a safety precaution. The chemicalsensor pad 232 may be connected to the mother board of the computer toprovide a warning in the event of released chemicals.

With the system installed in the computer, the chemical system 202 isactivated at the key board or from a remote location; both of which canbe individually or collectively deactivated for additional securitypurposes. The drill bits 222 are activated and advanced against the harddrive 203 to pierce the body of the hard drive and enter the cavity inwhich the data storage portion is located. A release mechanism thenreleases the loaded spring(s) 235 which drives the plungers 234 downwardagainst the chemical pods 204.

The process of the releasing the plungers 234 forces the chemicalsolvent out of the chemical pod 204 through holes in the tubular drillsbits 22 and forces the chemical solvent through the pointed tip 236 ofthe drill bits 222 into the cavity of the hard drives. A single or multistep “bore and inject” method can be used to introduce the chemicalsolvent into the body of the hard drive.

Once the drills bits 222 pierce the body of the hard drive, the chemicalsolvent 238 begins to disburse from the drill tip 236 throughout theinternal cavity of the hard drive. In the case of an HDD hard drive 203a as shown in FIG. 34, the platter(s) within the HDD hard drive willstill be spinning, which aids in the disbursement of the chemicalsolvent coating the information platter(s). A foaming agent in thechemical solvent 238 will further aid in the disbursement of thechemical solvent 238 and restrict the disbursement within the cavity ofthe hard drive 203 a. The expanding nature of the foaming agent willalso serve as a seal to restrict the chemical solvent 238 from spreadingoutside the inner casing of the hard drive. The information stored inthe HDD hard drive 203 a is completely destroyed, but the computer canbe used again by installing a new hard drive.

In the case of SSD hard drives 203 b as shown in FIG. 35, once the drillbits 222 pierce the body of the hard drive, the chemical solvent 238begins to disburse throughout the internal cavity coating theinformation pods of the SSD hard drive 203 b. A foaming agent may alsobe included in the chemical solvent to further aid in the disbursementof the chemical solvent and restrict the disbursement within the cavityof the hard drive. The information stored in the SSD hard drive 203 b iscompletely destroyed, but the computer can be used again by installing anew hard drive.

Although the overall chemical destruction system is depicted for insideof the housing of a vertical computer, the sub-assemblies can bereconfigured to adapt to horizontal computer units with limited spaceabove the hard drive.

FIG. 36 depicts the exterior of a smaller more compact spring loadedchemical data destroying system 300 for smaller 2.5 inch HDD and SSDhard drives such as used in laptops. As can be seen, the sub-assembliesare thinner than the counterparts previously described. Also, thechemical destruction system can be adapted to destroy other electronicmedia storage devices in smart phone, cell phones and tablets.

In the case of all three devices, the milling device, the laser deviceand the chemical device, the hard drives are processed with their coversremaining on. The covers have been shown removed in the drawings todifferentiate the types of hard drives being processed. Additionally,the three devices may be designed for “desktop” use and utilize astandard 110 volt power source. However, more industrialized versionsmay utilize a 220 volt source. All three devices may be adapted toaccommodate all types of electronic media storage devices.

1. A method for physically destroying the data storage portion ofelectronic media storage devices such as hard disk drives, solid statedrives and hybrid hard drives, comprising: providing a rotatable millingcutter having an axis, providing a cradle for locating the electronicmedia storage device in a position to be engaged by said milling cutter,moving said cutter or said carriage in an axial direction and rotatingsaid cutter about its axis to engage and remove the data storage portionof the electronic media storage device while leaving at least asubstantial portion of the electronic media storage device intact. 2.The method of claim 1 further including scanning the electronic mediastorage device to provide information regarding the type of electronicmedia storage device being introduced into the system, and using theinformation to properly position the electronic media storage device andcradle to remove the data storage portion.
 3. The method of claim 2further including storing the information regarding the electronic mediastorage device in a computer.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein a barcodereader is used to identify the type of electronic media storage device.5. The method of claim 1 wherein said milling cutter and said cradle arecontained in a single device and further including providing a wirelessconnection with the internet to send information between two or moredevices.
 6. The method of claim 1 further including, when saidelectronic media storage device is a hard drive that includes a hub fromwhich the data storage portion extends, moving a non-rotatable centralspear having an axis of movement coaxial with that of the milling cutterinto engagement with the hub to hold said hub from rotating while saidmilling cutter removes the data storage portion around said hub.
 7. Themethod of claim 1 wherein, when said electronic media storage device isa solid state drive or a hybrid hard drive, the milling cutter isadvanced axially into the electronic media storage device and sweptacross the surface to destroy the area containing the data storageportions.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein said mill cutter and saidcradle are contained in an individual device and further includingproviding a plurality of such devices at spaced locations and providingcommunication between the devices.
 9. A system for physically destroyingthe data storage portion of electronic media storage devices such ashard disk drives, solid state drives and hybrid hard drives comprising:a cutting chamber; a laser for destroying the data storage portion; acradle for holding an electronic media storage device in said chamber,said cradle or said laser or both being movable to position the laserrelative to the electronic media electronic storage device so that thelaser destroys the data storage portion of the electronic media storagedevice while leaving at least a substantial portion of the electronicmedia storage device intact.
 10. The system of claim 9 further includinga computer for housing information concerning the type of hard dive andinformation for controlling the movement of the laser cradle or both.11. The system of claim 9 wherein said laser utilizes a micro-drillingprocess that produces short and ultra-short pulses.
 12. The system ofclaim 22 wherein said laser uses infrared, visible or ultra-violet laserapplications.
 13. The system of claim 9 wherein said laser cuts closepatterned micro holes in the data storage portion of the electronicmedia electronic storage device.
 14. The system of claim 9 wherein saidelectronic media electronic storage devices includes an outer casing andan internal data storage portion, and said laser produces a close nithole pattern through the outer casing and the internal data storageportion rendering the stored information digitally and forensicallyirretrievable.
 15. A method for physically destroying the data storageportion of electronic media storage devices such as hard disk drives,solid state drives and hybrid hard drives, comprising: providing alaser; providing a cradle for locating the electronic media storagedevice in a position to be contacted by the laser; and moving said laserand or said cradle so that the laser destroys the data storage portionof the electronic media storage device while leaving at least asubstantial portion of the remaining electronic media storage deviceintact.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein said laser uses infrared,visible or ultra-violet laser applications.
 17. The method of claim 16wherein said laser cuts close patterned micro holes in the data storageportion of the electronic media storage device.
 18. The method of claim15 wherein said electronic media storage device includes an outer casingand an internal data storage portion, and said laser produces a closenit hole pattern through the outer casing and the internal data storageportion rendering the stored information digitally and forensicallyirretrievable.
 19. A chemical system for chemically destroying the datastorage portion of electronic media storage devices such as hard diskdrives, solid state drives and hybrid hard drives comprising: at leastone pod for storing a chemical capable of eroding and stripping away thedata storage portion of the electronic media electronic storage device;a hollow drill bit associated with each pod drivable into the cavity ofthe hard drive: a release mechanism of releasing said chemicals to flowthrough her drill bit into the cavity.
 20. The chemical system of claim19 wherein said system is mounted in a computer.
 21. The chemical systemof claim 19 further including a cog system to drive the hollow drills.22. The chemical system of claim 19 further including a radiator tomaintain the chemicals at an ambient temperature.
 23. The chemicalsystem of claim 19 further including a chemical sensor for sensing anychemicals leaking from said system.
 24. The chemical system of claim 19wherein said chemical is selected from the group consisting ofhydrochloric acid (HCL) and ammonium nitrate (AN) and a solvent.
 25. Amethod for chemically destroying the data storage portion of electronicmedia storage devices such as hard disk drives, solid state drives andhybrid hard drives, comprising: providing a chemical in a pod capable oferoding and stripping away the data storage portion of the electronicmedia electronic storage device; driving a hollow drill bit into thecavity of the hard drive containing the data storage portion ofelectronic media electronic storage devices; and releasing the chemicalto flow through the drill bit into the cavity.
 26. The method of claim25 further including maintaining the chemicals at ambient temperature.27. The method of claim 25 further including providing said system in acomputer.